Advertise on podcast: Death of a Film Star

Paul Walker lives life in the fast lane. He thinks life’s either a daring adventure or nothing at all. But danger has a domino effect. There’s always someone in the passenger seat. And sometimes, for the young, fast and free, that penny can take a while to drop… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You’ve seen Rock Hudson play cowboys, lovers, fighters, heroes. Always so wholesome. Always beating the bad guys. And always getting the girl. But his greatest role of all? That’s been Rock Hudson, all along. Because it’s all an act. And it all has to come crashing down at some point… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

People don't buy the way Bruce Lee died. The man who could do the one-inch punch died during a nap because something went wrong in his brain?! But it's the truth. And Bruce Lee the man might be dead, but Bruce Lee the icon? He's never been more alive. Because people like Bruce Lee? They don't just die. They live on forever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Errol Flynn was a Golden Age star in full Technicolor. But he lived like his characters – fast, free, with danger always close, morals out of sight and a girl on his arm. And that doesn’t tend to have happy endings. For anyone. Because the gloss hides flaws. And stars like Errol dazzle and deceive. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Everyone knows Carrie Fisher. Or at least they think they do. But they make the same mistake the villains in Star Wars do. The ones who see her as a pretty face and an empty head. They’re under-estimating Carrie. But Carrie won’t be taken advantage of, owned. Carrie will have her say… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Edie Sedgwick’s the original it girl. The first to be famous for fame’s own sake. And an image that will forever live on. Her act doesn’t end when the reels stopped rolling. It can’t. Because that’s what makes her. But it’s what breaks her too… WARNING: This episode contains references to eating disorders and drug abuse. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues we spoke about in this podcast or are worried about someone you love, please go to crowdnetwork.co.uk/helplines to find a list of people you can go to for help. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Philip Seymour Hoffman isn’t your usual Hollywood star. Some actors do charisma and charm. They radiate confidence. They lead. And the audience follows. But Philip just doesn’t want to. He wants something more interesting. Because between the matinée idol and the pantomime villain is the everyman. It’s where we watch from. But recovering addict is the role he’s been playing longer than any other… WARNING: This episode contains references to drug abuse and addiction. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues we spoke about in this podcast or are worried about someone you love, please go to crowdnetwork.co.uk/helplines to find a list of people you can go to for help. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Of course you know Judy Garland. The voice, the smile. Her biggest film, The Wizard of Oz. How she sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow. But you don’t know her like she is towards the end. How she looks, how she sounds. The people around her, the strangers watching. We’re not in Kansas, anymore… WARNING: This episode contains references to self-harm, sexual abuse and drug use. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Speed. That’s how James Dean tries to forget. About the older men. About the dreams where his mother appears and stays, just out of reach. With speed, he blurs the edges. Cuts so close to death that he can almost reach out and touch it. Until one day, one sunny evening, when he cuts it too close, and it’s too late… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When you think about Corey Haim, you think of all the things he’s been. Shy kid, heart-throb, manipulator, junkie. But a dear friend and a son too. A half-forgotten child star, when everyone should’ve known him. Because, “In Hollywood, we put people on pedestals. And then when we decide that they're not marketable anymore, we walk away from them.”  WARNING: This episode references drug use and addiction. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues we spoke about in this podcast or are worried about someone you love, please go to crowdnetwork.co.uk/helplines to find a list of people you can go to for help. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Before John Belushi died, he was always talking about Brando. Maybe he related to his characters. The guy who’s f*****g up, but doesn’t mean to. Because Belushi’s story is all about the kid who could have been a contender but ended up broken and beaten and alone. WARNING: This episode references drug use and addiction, some of it graphic. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues we spoke about in this podcast or are worried about someone you love, please go to crowdnetwork.co.uk/helplines to find a list of people you can go to for help. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You might not know River Phoenix. But the Hollywood you know now wouldn’t exist without him. He’s many things in his life. An activist. Musician. An object of teen adoration. And that’s before he appears on screen. But, despite all that, he’s known for something else. An overdose. The death of a young man. Death of a dream. And, quietly, the start of a change.   WARNING: This episode contains references to drug use and addiction. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues we spoke about in this podcast or are worried about someone you love, please go to crowdnetwork.co.uk/helplines to find a list of people you can go to for help. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.